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Republican Blocks Bill That Would Require Warrant for Feds to Access Email

Who said Republicans were for privacy rights? Every court in the country would approve a search warrant for terror suspects. To think we need to give away our rights to email privacy in exchange for safety is a faux argument.

An anonymous Republican senator has delayed a vote on legislation that would require police to obtain a warrant before accessing emails and other online messages.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) pushed for a vote on the bill before Congress left for its August recess. He secured unanimous support from Democrats, but at least one Republican objected to the bill, according to a Democratic Senate aide.

Leahy had hoped to fast-track the bill to passage with unanimous support, but the opposition means a vote will be delayed until at least September.

A Leahy aide said the senator will continue to work with Republicans to address their concerns. The Senate could pass the legislation without unanimous support, but it would take up valuable floor time to override a filibuster.

It is unclear which Republican or Republicans objected to the bill, S. 607.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee, has expressed concern about how the bill would affect civil regulatory investigations, but Beth Levine, a Grassley spokeswoman, said he was not the one to place a hold on the bill.

Privacy concerns have moved to the front burner on Capitol Hill in the weeks since revelations about the National Security Agency’s surveillance programs.